Anvil launching

Encyclopedia : A : AN : ANV : Anvil launching

Anvil launching is a practice that was once common in the Southern United States. It involves using gunpowder to fire an anvil into the air. Often two anvils are used: one as a base (placed upside down), and one as the projectile (placed right-side up, atop the base), although the former can be dispensed with. Because many anvils have concave bases, a space exists between the projectile anvil and the base. The space is filled with black powder (not modern gunpowders, which have much higher energy densities!) and a fuse is made to project out. The fuse is lit, and the resulting deflagration (rapid combustion of the powder; NOT explosion) sends the projectile anvil several, often hundreds, of feet into the air.

Although it is not frequently performed anymore, it was once used as a substitute for fireworks during celebrations. The unusual event is kept alive by a number of enthusiasts.

Sources

Anvils in America by Richard Postman

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.